Water Post Hole Digging Tool

ABSTRACT

A water post hole digging tool is provided. The water post hole digging tool includes an elongate conduit member having an upper portion, a body portion, and a lower portion. The body portion may include a plurality of removably attached channel members. A handle is integrally attached to the upper portion of the elongate conduit member. A boring element is attached to a distal end of the lower portion. The boring element includes a concave expanding nozzle opening with a plurality of apertures for discharging water flow therefrom to change the contents of a desired hole from a solid to a slurry liquid mixture of water, sand, soil, and rocks.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/083,414 filed on Nov. 24, 2014. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a water digging tool. More particularly, the present invention relates to a water post hole digging tool that is implanted into the ground, wherein liquid flow is directed in the direction of a piercing free end of a boring element to facilitate penetration into the ground.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Posthole diggers are used to bore comparatively small diameter holes in the earth, for installation of fence posts, and other posts and supports of various kinds. Although fence posts are widely used, they are particularly prevalent in the agricultural industries. For example, a typical livestock operation or orchard will have many hundreds or even thousands of fence posts, used for fences, to support trees or vines, and so on. Since the posts must be replaced or moved from time-to-time, the time and labor involved in installing fence posts becomes a major concern for many farmers, ranchers, orchardists, and so on.

Prior art posthole digging tools, however, have remained notoriously slow, labor-intensive, and inefficient in use. Manual posthole diggers have generally taken one of two forms: The most common comprises a pair of shovel-shaped blades which are joined together by a hinge, at the end of a pair of long poles; the operator thrusts the tool downwardly into the ground and then brings the blades together to withdraw a scoop of dirt. These tools are slow and tiring to use, and require extra manual labor.

Other types of posthole diggers are available which are designed to be mounted to a vehicle, such as a tractor or loader or similar vehicle for example. These devices are commonly driven using the vehicle and have the advantage of requiring only one operator. Again, however, they tend to be very expensive. Moreover, because they are mounted to the vehicle, this means that the vehicle must be maneuvered each time another hole is to be made, and in many instances there will not be enough room in which to maneuver the vehicle, as around trees or other obstacles. Once again, these drawbacks can present serious problems in a commercial operation, especially in the case of an orchard or a vineyard where many posts and other supports need to be placed in and amongst the plants themselves.

Accordingly, there exists a need for a posthole digger which is fast and efficient in operation, and which requires only a single operator, but which is also easily portable and convenient to use. Moreover, there exists a need for such a posthole digger which is simple and inexpensive in construction, and highly durable and reliable for extended use. Further, there is a need for a post hole digger that can be utilized for household purposes such as creating holes for posts, trees, shrubs, or other lawn ornaments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of post digging tools now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a water post hole digging tool wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when digging a hole for a post.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved water post hole digging tool that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a water post hole digging tool including an elongate conduit member having an upper portion, a body portion, and a lower portion. The body portion comprises a plurality of removably attached channel members. A coupling member extends through the upper portion of the elongate conduit member.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a water post hole digging tool including a handle integrally attached to the upper portion of the elongate conduit member. The handle comprises at least two outwardly extending handle bars on opposing sides of the upper portion of the elongate conduit member. The handle bars are slidable along a length of the upper portion.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a water post hole digging tool including a boring element removably attached to a distal end of the lower portion. The boring element has a concave expanding nozzle opening with a plurality of apertures for discharge of a flow of water therefrom.

It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a water post hole digging tool wherein the coupling member comprises an angled pipe having a valve member. The angled pipe forms a 90° angle extending from the upper portion. A threaded coupling joint is on a distal end of the angled pipe and is adapted to engage with a conventional household water hose.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the water post hole digging tool according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the water post hole digging tool according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a shows a perspective view of the water post hole digging tool according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a shows a perspective view of the water post hole digging tool according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a close-up view of the coupling member of the water post hole digging tool according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a close-up view of the boring element of the water post hole digging tool according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the water post hole digging tool. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for digging a hole for a post. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, there are shown perspective views of the water post hole digging tool according to embodiments of the present invention. The water post hole digging tool includes an elongate conduit member 100 having an upper portion 102, a body portion 104, and a lower portion 106. The elongate conduit member 100 is unitary structure having a hollow interior volume that a fluid can flow therethrough. It is also contemplated that the elongate conduit member 100 can formed by removably attaching the upper portion 102, body portion 104, and lower portion 106 via a threaded connection. The upper portion 102 includes a threaded connection which receives the engaging threaded connection of the body portion 104. The body portion 104 may include a plurality of removably attached channel members. The channel members receive the threaded connection of the lower portion 106. In an alternate embodiment, a telescopic handle 110 is attached to the upper portion 102 of the elongate conduit member 100.

In some embodiments, the elongate conduit member 100 may further include a coupling member 108 that is telescopic within the elongate conduit member 100. The coupling member 108 can extend and retract to a desired height by moving the coupling member 108 within the elongate conduit member 100 and locking the position of coupling member 108 via a fastener. The coupling member 108 includes a threaded coupling joint 118 at a distal end thereof configured to receive a conventional hose so as to receive waterflow.

A boring element 112 is removably attached to a distal end of the lower portion 106 of the elongate conduit member 100. The boring element 112 has a concave expanding nozzle opening 114 with a plurality of apertures 116 for discharge of a flow of water therefrom. Water enters the elongate conduit member 100 through the coupling joint 118 at the coupling member 108. The water flows through the elongate conduit member 100 and exits the nozzle opening 114. The water supply is sufficient to soften to earth to assist in the boring without destroying the hole being bored. The handle 110 having been secured to the elongate conduit member 100 then imparts a reciprocal axial movement to the post which then causes the implement to bore into the ground. The elongate conduit member 100 then descends into the ground with a hole being formed with water impregnated material about the post.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown an exploded view of the water post hole digging tool according to one embodiment of the present invention. The body portion 104 of the elongate conduit member 100 includes a plurality of removable channel members that can be used to increase the overall length of the apparatus. The channel members include female and male threaded connections on opposing sides to removably connect the body 104 to the upper portion 102 and the lower portion 106.

The handle 110 extends perpendicularly to the elongate conduit member 100. The handle 110 comprises at least two outwardly extending handle bars 120 on opposing sides of the upper portion 102 of the elongate conduit member 100.

The handle bars 120 are slidable along a length of the upper portion 102.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a perspective view of the water post hole digging tool according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The illustrated embodiment shows a deep well digging embodiment of the water post hole digging tool 100. The deep well digging embodiment includes an elongate conduit member 102 that has width larger than other embodiments of the present invention. The larger width enables the tool 100 to dig wider holes with increased depth. The tool 100 comprises a dual feed cap 130 on the distal end of the top portion of the elongate conduit member 102. The dual feed cap 130 is coupled to the elongate conduit member 102 such the elongate conduit member 102 can receive water flow therethrough. The dual feed cap 130 includes a first hose attachment 132 and a second hose attachment 134 that each include a shut-off valve 124. A handle 110 is coupled to the body of the elongate conduit member 102. In some embodiments, the handle 110 is adjustable and may include a quick lease latch to remove the handle 110.

The distal end of the elongate conduit member 102 includes a boring element 112. The boring element 112 includes a serrated edge 136 adapted to penetrate the ground. In use, a water hose is coupled to the each hose attachment 132, 134. The valves 124 on each hose attachment 132, 134 are adjusted to regulate the flow rate of water through the elongate conduit member 102. The boring element 112 is inserted into the ground and pressure is applied to the handles 110 to penetrate the ground.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown a close-up view of the coupling member of the water post hole digging tool according to one embodiment of the present invention. A fastener, such as a lever arm, locks the coupling member 108 at a desired height of the elongate conduit member. In a preferred embodiment, the coupling member 108 comprises an angled pipe 122 that forms a 90° angle with the elongate conduit member 100. A valve member 124 extends through the angled pipe 122 and is configured to control the flowrate of water entering the elongate conduit member 100.

The coupling member 108 further includes a threaded coupling joint 118 at a distal end of the angled pipe 122. The threaded coupling joint 118 is adapted to engage with a female threaded connection of a conventional garden hose. The water enters the elongate conduit member 100 via the threaded coupling joint and the valve member 124 regulates the flowrate of the water.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown a close-up view of the boring element of the water post hole digging tool according to one embodiment of the present invention. The boring element 112 is removably attached to a distal end of the body portion. The boring element 112 includes a male threaded connection configured to engage with the female threaded connection of the body portion channel members. The nozzle opening 114 of the boring element 112 comprises a pinched central section 126 forming at least two substantially elliptical sections 128 for accelerating and directing the flow of water. In one embodiment, the nozzle 114 of the boring element can be fabricated by pressing the end of the lower portion 106 of the elongate conduit member 100 and drilling at least three holes around the periphery thereof such that water flow can exit all the apertures.

The boring element 122 further includes a plurality of apertures 116. The apertures 116 dispel water at different locations along the boring element 122. In one embodiment, the boring element 122 includes at least two apertures on opposing sides of the pressed central section 126 and at least two apertures at the opposing ends of the boring element 122. The apertures are spaced apart at 90° angles from each other to dispel water in every direction about the elongate conduit member 100. Additionally, the two substantially elliptical sections 128 direct water flow to the area being treated.

The water post hole digging tool utilizes household water pressure and flow to change the contents of a desired hole from a solid to a liquid mixture of water, sand, soil, and rocks, through a slurry action. A very low impact digging technique is utilized by the user to achieve the desired depth and diameter, to install a post with minimum effort or make holes for other purposes. Depending on the soil conditions, the water post hole digging tool can work in conjunction with conventional post hole digging tools by loosening the contents of the hole to allow easier soil removal for difficult or hard soil.

It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. A water post hole digging tool, comprising: an elongate conduit member having an upper portion and a body portion; a handle integrally attached to the upper portion of the elongate conduit member; a boring element attached to a distal end of the body portion, the boring element having a nozzle opening with a plurality of apertures for discharging a flow of water therefrom.
 2. The water post hole digging tool of claim 1, wherein the boring element is removably attached to the body portion.
 3. The water post hole digging tool of claim 1, further comprising a coupling member extending through the upper portion of the elongate conduit member, wherein the coupling member is telescopic within the elongate conduit.
 4. The water post hole digging tool of claim 3, wherein the coupling member includes a threaded coupling joint for receiving the flow of water.
 5. The water post hole digging tool of claim 1, wherein the body portion comprises a plurality of removably attached channel members.
 6. The water post hole digging tool of claim 1, wherein the nozzle opening of the boring element further comprises a pressed central section forming at least two substantially elliptical sections for accelerating and directing the flow of water.
 7. The water post hole digging tool of claim 3, wherein the coupling member comprises an angled pipe having a valve member.
 8. The water post hole digging tool of claim 7, wherein the angled pipe forms a 90° angle.
 9. The water post hole digging tool of claim 7, wherein the threaded coupling joint is on a distal end of the angled pipe.
 10. The water post hole digging tool of claim 1, wherein the handle comprises at least two outwardly extending handle bars on opposing sides of the upper portion of the elongate conduit member.
 11. The water post hole digging tool of claim 10, wherein the handle bars are slidable along a length of the upper portion.
 12. The water post hole digging tool of claim 5, wherein the plurality of removably attached channel members further comprise a threading pattern on opposing ends of the channel members.
 13. The water post hole digging tool of claim 1, wherein the lower portion is removably attached to the body portion.
 14. The water post hole digging tool of claim 1, wherein the apertures of the boring element are located above the nozzle opening and are configured to discharge water flow. 